Keyboard for perforating, adding, and calculating machines



7 July 28, 1931. c. n. WILLIAMS KEIBOARD FOR PBINRATIIG, ADDING, AND CALCULATING IAGHIIES Filed Sept. 1. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmervi llulal litelullt li t July 28, 1931. c. D. WILLIAMS KEYBOARD FOR PERFORATING, ADDING, AND CALCULATING MACHINES 1, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept.

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Patented July 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE CLYDE DOWNS WILLIAMS, WOOD SIDE, MARYLAND Application filed September 1, 292?. Serial No. 216,874.

This invention relates to key boards for perforating, adding, calculating and all machines employing a key board or a plurality of keys, and more particularly to such ma- 0 chines Where great speed and a touch system is desired.

The main object of my invention is to provide a shiftable key board and its associated key operated mechanism, which may also be 1o shiftable, which will operate at least twice the number of keys it employs, or the same proportion of key operated mechanisms on any perforating, adding, or any key operated machine, electrical or mechanical.

A further object of the invention is to provide a key board and key operated mechanism whereby the full quota of keys or key operat= ing mechanisms may be operated by the fingcrs and thumb of onehand without changing 29 the relative position of the hand with respect to the said key board. i

A still further ob 'ect of the invention is to provide an improve key board and key operated mechanism which may be auxiliary to the regulation key board on a perforating, adding or other machine, or used in lieu of the regulation key board.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form r a part of my application,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved key board shown applied to a card perforating machine of the commercial type;

Figure 2 is a side elevation or" my improved key board and associated key operated mechanism, showing the mechanism in idle position;

Figure 3 is a partial side elevation of my improved key board and associated key operated mechanism, showing the said mechanism in operative relation with one key depressed;

Figure 4: is a front elevation partly in section of the key board and associated key operated mechanism;

Figure 5 is a detail view of the escapement tripping mechanism; 3

Figure 6 is a detail view of a modification of the key operated mechanism when a light 50 touch only is required to operate the mechanism of any particular perforating, adding or calculating machine, and

Figure l is a detail view of a modification where the key mechanism is used in connection with an electrically operated machine (not shown).

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

My improved key board and its associated booster mechanism is shown applied to a simple form of perforating machine, however, it may be applied to any make or type of commercial perforating machine or adding machine utilizing a plurality of keys within range of my inventionthis to be accomplished h each regular key of in improved cey boar operating at least two keys, or the mechanism operated by at least two keys of any such machines lhe number or keys used on my invention and the spacing and positioning of the key operated mechanism will be determined by the number and position or the keys of the machine to be operated.

The perforating machine 1 is adapted to support my improved key board 2 in any desired manner, whereby levers from the key operated mechanism will be superimposed over the keys 31 of the said machine. The key board 2 is set at an angle to the machine 1, so that an easy and restful position oil the hand and arm will be assumed when the machine is operated. A plurality of ke s d are hinged at 5 to the key board 2 at t eir inner ends, while a double key 6 is intermediately hinged at 7, and adapted to be operated by the thumb. A raise palm sup orting pad 8 is carried by the key board 2, an serves not only to support the hand and correctly position the fingers and thumb over the said keys i and 6, but also furnishes a means of shifting the key board from one position to another, so that each key will operate at least two separate pieces of mechanism. A base or frame 9 is fixed to the machine 1, and furnishes a support for the key board 2, and its associated key operated mechanism. The key board 2 is linked to the frame 9 through the medium of the rocking links 10 at each ill till

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corner of the frame. The links are'provided with oppositely disposed flat bearing surfaces 11 which limit the shifting, or forward and backward movement of the key board 2 with respect to the said frame 9.

Each of the keys 4 and 6 is provided with spaced downwardly projecting operating pins 12 and 13, adapted each to operate a by one of the pins 12 or 13, and is provided with a bevelled face 16 formed integrally therewith, on the side adjacent to the move ment of its operating pin 12 or 13.

A plurality of slidable operating bars 17 are slidably mounted in the guides 18 and sup ortthe toothed trip bars 19, hinged at 20 to t eir forward ends. Each bar 19 is formed opposite ends with a depending tooth 21 intermediate its ends, which is adapted to cooperatewith the the longitudinally grooved elongated drivin gear 22 disposed immediately below the sald teeth 21. An operating tab or finger 23 extends from each rocking bar 14 and is adapted to contact with the trip bars 19 to force the teeth 21 into engagement with the grooves of the gear 22. The forward ends of the trip bars 19 are substantially T-shape and when depressed, are adapted to slide along the upwardly inclined cam late 24 supported by the arms 25 on the rame 9. It will be understood that the cam plate 24 extends transversely across the frame 9 in advance of the driving gear 22. p

A toothed uard bar 26 is hinged at its tween the sides of the frame 9, and extends the full distance between said sides and immediately above the cam plate 24 and contacts with vthe upper face thereo when in its lowermost position. Aplurality of spaced T-shape teeth 27 are formed on the bar 26 on its rear side. The bar 26 is adapted to be raised upwardly by the forward movement of the T-shape ends of the trip bars 19 a suflicient distance to permit their passage underneath, thereby holding the tooth 21 of the depressed trip bar 19 in engagement with the groove in the drivipg gear 22, after which the said T-shape ends will pass upwardly, through the inner slots at the base of the teeth on the bar 26, and the bar assume its normal inactive position. Leaf springs 28 I are attached to the under surface of the operating bars 17 and contact with the under.

surfaces of the trip bars 19 to hold them in raised position. A series of links 29 are connee-ted to the rear. ends of the operating bars 17 and operate the interconnected auxiliary feet 30 disposed immediately above orin congear 32 and connects through the bell crank lever 35 tothe trigger rod 36 which is pivoted transversely of the frame 9 immediately be neuth the forward ends ofthe operating bars 17. Each rocking bar 14 is alsoprovided with an. esrapement tripping finger 37, which contacts with the trigger rod 36 and pushes the dog 34 out of engagement with a tooth on the gear 32, thereby permitting the driving gear 22 to rotate a portion of a revolution to drive the trip bar 19 forward to operate the perforating or adding machine keys or mechanism. The other end of the dog 34 will limit the movement of the driving gear 22, until the operation is completed. The spring 38 will then pull the dog 34 into engagement 'with the gear 32, and the trigger rod 36 and connecting mechanism back to its normal position. When the dog 34 is out of engagement with the escapcment gear 32, its upper end is thrown between the teeth of gear 32, and should the spring 38 fail to pull the dog into engagement with said gear, the next tooth on said gear will be engaged by the dog.

In Figure 6 of the drawings, a direct op erating rod 39 is shown attached to lever tab 40 connected with rocking bar 14, for operating keys 41 or a mechanism of a perforating, adding or calculating machine requiring a light stroke and no booster mechanism.

In Figure 7, I have shown the key 4 electrically connected with an electric circuit for directly operating the mechanism of an electrically operated machine. Contact is made by depressing the keys 4 and 6, which have at least two COIltfid't points controlled by the shifting of the key board 2. It will be understood -that suitable springs may be placed under the keys 4 and 6 to hold thesame in raised position, if required.

The keys 42 in Figure 1, are connected by levers and bars to certain extra keys or key 1 mechanisms for purposes other than to the perforating mechanism, and on adding ma- As a perforation is made in a field, the card is fed forward for perforating the next field.

The mode of operation of the illustrated form of my invention is as follows: Assuming that the key board 2 is in operating position on a perforating machine such as I have and 1, the next finger 2 and 3, the middle finger 4 and 5, the index finger 6 and 7 and the thumb 8 and 9 on the right double key, and perforations 10 and 11 on the left double key. -To make perforation number 5, the hand on palm supporting pad .8 is shifted backward as the key is pressed by the middle finger, thereby depressing the operating pin 12 at the left of the key to force down the tab 15 of the rocking bar 14. This in turn rocks the operating finger 23 on bar it, causing the trip bar 19 to drop down until the tooth 2O thereon engages one of the grooves in the driving gear 22. When the finger 23 is rocked, an escapement operating linger 37 also rocks, since it is also carried bythe bar 14, and engages the trigger rod 36', causing the same torelease the dog engaging the escapement gear, and permitting the spring driving mechanism to rotate the driving gear a portion of a revolution, until the spring 38 or the next tooth in the gear 32 strikes the upper part of the dog 34 forcing the same into engagement with the next tooth on the gear 32. In the meantime, the toothed bar 19, by engagement of its tooth 21 with groove indriving gear 22 moves forward carrying operating bar 17 with its link 29, which presses the auxiliary foot 30 down onto the adjacent key of the perforating machine l. When the bar 19 is carried forward, its T- shape end passes under the teeth 27 of the guard bar 26, thereby holding the tooth 21 of the trip bar 19 in engagement with groove in gear 22. As the end of the bar 19 moves forward along the surface of the cam plate 24, it passes through the aperture behind the teeth 27 in the guard bar. 26, thereby releasing the tooth 21 from the groove in the driving gear 22, and leaf spring 28 immediately raises the said bar 19 to a horizontal position, at which time it is returned to its normal inoperative position, by springs of operated machine, or if necessary by auxiliary springs for providing a quick return. The parts just mentioned in the operation are all associated with the perforation number 5. If it is desired to make a perforation in number 6, the key below the index finger is pressed as the palm shifts the key board forward, thereby setting into operation a similar of levers or mechanism as described for perforation number 5. If an odd number follows an odd number, or if an even number follows an even number, it will be unnecessary to shift the key board.

If a machine to be operated does not require the booster mechanism hereinbefore described, its keys or mechanism may be operated by tabs located on bars 14 connected by rods or bars to operating levers spaced over the keys 31, or to the key mechanism of another machine. Up to rocking bar 14,, the description is the same as just described.

ll'f the machine to be operated Works by electricity, each key will operate at least the mechanisms or two of the keys of the operated machine. The operating of the shiftable key board is the same as previously described, but each key is wired for two or more electrical connections which are spaced the same as the projecting pins 12 and. 13, and the corresponding connections are spaced in the same relative position as are tabs 15, thus when a key t or 6 is depressed, is causes a proper contact according to the shifted position of the key board 2, and a closed circuit operates the corres onding mechanism of the perforating, ad ing or other machine.

Many minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without. departure from the spirit of: the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A. device of the character described cornprising a plurality of separate operable mechanisms, a manually shiftable keyboard having a series of depressible keys arranged in spaced relation transversely of said keyboard, means for supporting said keyboard for reciprocating backward and forward longitudinal movement, and connections be tween said keys and said operable mechanisms controlled by the longitudinal position of the keyboard.

2. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of separate operable mechanisms, a manually shiftable keyboard having a series of depressible keys arranged in spaced relation transversely of said keyboard, means for supporting, said'keyboard for a combined reciprocating androcking longitudinal movement, and connections between said keys and said operable mechanisms whereby one mechanism will be open ated when the .lreyboard is moved in one direction, and a different mechanism operated when the keyboard is moved in the reverse direction. g

3. A devipe of the character described comprising a plurality of separate operable mechanisms,.a manually shiftable key board for a combined reciprocating and rocking longitudinal movement in o posed direct1ons to its normal mterme 1ate position,

motor operated connections between said ke s and said operable mechanisms whereby 5 said operable mechanisms will be controlled by the longitudinal position of the keyboard.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLYDE DOWNS WILLIAMS. 

